Ahmedabad: A Surat-based chartered accountant’s growing dependence on AI platform ChatGPT — seeking its guidance for even minor, routine matters — spilled into his home life to the extent that it became a flashpoint in a widening marital rift which ended with his wife leaving along with their child.The fallout reached Gujarat High Court after the man filed a habeas corpus petition seeking custody of his two-year-old daughter from his estranged wife, alleging that she and her parents had “illegally detained” the child. HC, however, declined to intervene, holding that custody with the mother could not be termed illegal and that any custody change would require a fuller inquiry before a competent court.The couple married in 2016 and had a daughter in 2024. In May this year, the wife left the matrimonial home. She took the child away in August, after which the husband issued a legal notice demanding the child’s return. In her reply, she set out allegations that later became central to High Court’s reading of the dispute. The husband also approached police, but they did not act, noting the child was with the mother.In its order, High Court pointed to the wife’s response and the documents on record. “During January 2025, the petitioner husband developed a habit of extensively using ChatGPT even for minor and routine manner and would repeatedly engaged with the said platform and gradually husband started forming and fabricating various narratives, which further affected his behaviour and inter-personal relationship with the wife and contributed to the increasing matrimonial discord between the parties.”High Court further observed, “The words used by the husband like “mother manipulator” “daughter thief”, “mama extortionist”, and “father spineless” shows that this is nothing but the husband’s excessive dependence upon ChatGPT.”The order also recorded that the domestic situation worsened after what the court described as the husband’s one-sided romantic attachment towards a dentist in April 2025. A month later, the wife raised concerns with the husband and his family, requesting him to cut down his use of ChatGPT. The court noted, “However, behaviour of the husband was not changed and thereafter despite extensive counselling and medication, the doctor informed that the husband is suffering from Bipolar Disorder, Mania and Depression.”Rejecting the habeas corpus petition, the court ruled that the child’s custody with her mother was not illegal custody. Citing the allegations made by the wife in her response to the notice, the court said, “We are of the considered opinion that, no case is made out to change the custody of minor daughter and having regard to the nature of dispute between the parties, the issue of custody required thorough enquiry by the competent court as dispute involves detailed disputed facts requiring extensive evidence to be recorded and determined by the competent court.”
